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John Lordan

1876 – 1960

American runner

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About John Lordan

Lived 1876 – 1960 (aged 83). John Lordan was an American athletics competitor.

John Charles Lordan (or Lorden) (born June 30, 1874, or June 29, 1876, died February 12, 1960 ) was an Irish born American long-distance runner who won the 1903 Boston Marathon and competed in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri.

Born in Murragh, Cork, Ireland. Lordan was trained by fellow Cantabridgian Tad Gormley. After finishing fifth in 1901 and third in 1902, Lordan finished ahead of Sammy Mellor and Michael Spring to win the 1903 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:41:29,

He was an Irish immigrant who worked as a shipping agent for a manufacturing company in Cambridge. He trained at night only because of his job.

On August 18, 1909, Lorden raced a marathon in St. John’s, Newfoundland against his former teammate and 1898 Boston Marathon champion Ronald MacDonald on a six-lap-to-the-mile track at St. Bonaventure's College before 3,000 spectators. MacDonald was four laps behind at the twenty mile mark when Lorden "hit the wall." At the end, MacDonald finished 40 yards and ten seconds ahead of Lorden, in a time of 3:07:50 over 25 miles (40 km).

A monument was erected in his home town, Bandon, Co. Cork, to commemorate his victory in the Boston Marathon of 1903.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
John Lordon, John C. Lordon

People in John Lordan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Lordan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Lordan?

American runner

When was John Lordan born?

John Lordan was born on 29 June 1876 in Bengour East.

When did John Lordan die?

John Lordan died on 12 February 1960 in Brighton.

What was John Lordan's occupation?

John Lordan was an athletics competitor.

What nationality was John Lordan?

John Lordan was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Lordan

· Wikidata: Q11727931

· DBpedia: John Lordan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Lordan. https://biography.guide/john-lordan/

MLA: "John Lordan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-lordan/.

Chicago: "John Lordan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-lordan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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